Wilting Rose
by Szept
Summary: An unruly mind is a nuisance that Ruby has to deal with way too often as of late. Especially late at night, when there is nothing to focus her wandering thoughts on.
1. Restless

_"Maybe we will see you around."_

Ruby tosses and turns in her bunk, making it swing lightly, to subconscious dismay of her partner below. Whom despite being soundly asleep, tenses up at the dreaded sound of strained ropes.

_A barely-there smirk graces Her lips._

She's not entirely awake but most certainly not even halfway asleep either. It's… tiring, this restlessness that overtakes her at night when there is nothing to distract the girl from idle thoughts. If they can be called such.

_She catches the other student watching her, none too subtly from across the hall._

She tries her best in forcing herself into sleep but it proves to be difficult. Stubbornly trying to think about nothing or counting sheep works only to a point, after which she becomes too sleepy to continue, that's when thoughts of Her swarm Ruby's mind anew.

_She smiles back at the strange woman as they pass the other in a hallway._

It's not like her mind doesn't do the same throughout the day when it's given time to wander.

_'She must be an upperclassmen.'_

It's annoying. Not the thoughts themselves but the way they pester her.

_Ruby's body flares up when she feels her leg being rubbed by another under the table. All the while She simply keeps talking as if nothing has happened, a subtle smile ever present on Her face._

The girl's eyes shoot open at that particular memory, suddenly fully awake. She takes in a shaky breath after realizing she forgot to breathe, then takes her mask off, revealing a pair of tired, silver eyes. She pulls her scroll out from under pillow to check the hour. Squinting as the light blinds her momentarily.

2:14

Way, way too early to get up. Way too late to catch proper sleep too. Oh, she will be dead on her feet in the classes again, and she has lessons with Glynda today and she won't be able to focus and the woman will give her detention for slacking off and Weiss will be mad and she will be given some sort of punishment and she will have to spend the rest of today on it.

And she won't be able to see Her because of it.

She lets out a dismayed groan and shoves the scroll back underneath the cushion. Maybe she could sneak into Yang's bunk? That always helps when she has trouble sleeping. Her sister sleeps like the dead, rather animated dead but still. Problem is she will wake up first, since Ruby herself is dead tired. Then she will ask what's the matter and won't stop until getting an honest answer out of her sister.

Blake…

Nope.

She can technically invade Schnee heiress' bed, she had done it before and still lives to tell the tale but Ruby doubts it would be of much help. Her older sister automatically grabs anything in her reach while sleeping, which makes for hilarious photos and great cuddles. Weiss… not so much, or at all really. She attempted giving the white haired girl a stuffed beowolf in her sleep once. She prepared for many things but not the absolute lack of reaction.

Ruby turns over, stuffing her face into pillow and tries counting to a hundred again. Hoping to simply pass out in process.

_"__What do you say we meet after lessons, hm?"_


	2. Question

Ruby throws the bag over shoulder and begins making way to the door when she sees Her again. Sitting by herself in the quiet corner of the library, her slender fingers lazily tapping on a scroll. The girl realizes then that this is the first time she sees the older student without her usual smirk in place. In fact, she looks rather bored. Maybe even vaguely annoyed.

Ruby halts and absentmindedly rubs her arm, debating if she should follow the idea that has been plaguing her for the last few days, ever since she first saw Her to be exact. She bites her lip, mulling over the situation.

'Oh come on, she's just a student. What's the worst that could happen?'

With that in mind, the girl steels herself and approaches the object of her distress.

It's strange, they didn't even really talk and Ruby often catches herself thinking about Her. She noticed how sometimes the transfer student will simply set eyes on her and just look, unabashed even when spotted. She doesn't know what to make of it, she wants to ask but somehow the chance didn't prove itself for the last couple days. Well, maybe it did but Ruby never quite managed to work up the courage to walk up to the intimidatingly beautiful woman with her friends around.

Now though, they're alone.

The amber eyed beauty looks up to see a rather nervous looking girl with red cloak on her back hesitantly making way towards the table she's seated at. A satisfied smirk graces her lips and she switches the scroll in front of her off.

Ruby comes to a stop beside the older student, well, almost. There still is a corner of the table in between them as the girl feels insecure about the whole thing. She tugs at the hem of her sleeve, mind suddenly blank. Quite painfully aware of how she's making a terrible impression of herself. She is thankfully given an out when the senior speaks up.

"Hello again. Would you mind sitting down? I feel rude, talking to you like that."

"Um, eh, sure," she does just that, laying her bag beside feet and still keeping the desk as a barrier. Desperately looking for a way to ask her question.

"I uh, wanted to ask..." she trails off, not sure how to phrase her tangled thoughts.

'Wow, good job Ruby, you really are a dunce aren't you?'

"Wanted to? Am I that unpleasant to talk to?" She quarries mock-hurt. Her smile gaining more devious edge to it.

"What? No! Nonono! It's just a- I wanted- want to, I mean. I-it's just-" Ruby's tongue trips over itself as words get stuck in her throat, cheeks flaming bright red in embarrassment at her stutter. Eyes darting around nervously "I- I'm sorry I-"

She cuts off as a warm, soft hand land on top of her own that she just now noticed she had been wringing on the table's surface. Silver eyes snap to the amber ones, twinkling with amusement at the spectacle in front of their owner.

"Relax, I don't bite," There is hint of something in her voice that Ruby can't quite recognize." just breathe for a moment alright?" Ruby nods energetically and waits for a couple of seconds, as told. The woman withdraws her hand after giving a gentle squeeze and the younger girl's own suddenly feel very cold. She looks at these warm hands and how perfect the nails look. Again her attention reverts back to Her when Ruby realizes what is she doing.

"Better?" The Haven student asks, propping herself on elbows and leaning towards Ruby, resting her head on left hand. Yet again studying the girl's face with all the intense curiosity she had been displaying for the last couple of days.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for that, I guess I'm not good with strangers, I mean you should have seen me when I just arrived at Beacon Just wow, that was terrible." The woman tilts her head so that it barely rests on her slender fingers. Looking as if listening to the most interesting thing in the whole world. But Ruby feels like she's just digging a deeper hole. "But I- guess you don't really want to hear about that, I'm sorry I'm rumbling."

"It's adorable, I like it." Ruby catches herself watching her lips and blushes both at the words and her wandering stare. "Say, would you mind showing me around? I get lost all the time and you were very helpful last time."

"I was? Oh! Thank you, and sure I will, just ah- can we take this," she points at her bag" back to my room first? It's kinda heavy today."

"Of course, let me help you with that at least." With that She gracefully stands up and picks Ruby's bag before she has time to do that herself.

"You don't need to, I can carry it no problem." She tries to take a hold of it but gives up when the transfer student puts a strap over her shoulder.

"Nonsense, you're the one helping me here. Now come, do you have a curfew here?"

"Not really, or more like, who cares kind of curfew. Nobody makes rounds you know." She says as she leads the way out of library, the woman at her side, close enough to brush their hands together every now and then.


	3. A Walk

"I should go back, I've got an assignment from professor Oobleck due for tomorrow. Probably shouldn't have put it off for so long..." Ruby murmurs dejectedly and moves to gather her bag from the feet of the bench she and Cinder are sitting on. The sun will soon set and she hadn't paid any mind to the passage of time while talking with her new friend. She didn't plan to spend so much time on it, or none at all really since she only came out here to stretch her legs and eat a snack without Weiss reminding her about the essay for tomorrow. That she was joined by the woman was unexpected though not unpleasant.

She has a way of putting Ruby at ease, to help her out of self imposed shell whenever she didn't actually feel like spending time around people. The girl honestly tries to make friends and become more open, less awkward of a person but she also needs her solitude at times. Not that she dislikes company, not at all, she loves spending time with her friends but sometimes she feels overwhelmed by- well everything. It's time for herself when she doesn't need to deal with anything or anyone else.

The intrusion of the older student into these moments was not planned but eventually she found herself enjoying the company as it isn't intrusive, the transfer student seemingly perfectly reading her mood and then acting accordingly, sharing silence when needed or providing an ear for the younger girl to confide in. Ruby is almost positive that her senior seeks her out on purpose as there is no way she just happens to find her almost every time.

It's... nice to think that she wants to spend time with her. Ruby certainly likes doing so.

"Oh? Shouldn't you have done it earlier then?" She asks teasingly and young Rose blushes in embarrassment. Because yes she should have and Cinder pointing it out makes her feel strange inside, bothered and self-conscious, it doesn't happen when other people do it. "Actually..." she moves her hand from the bench to move an unruly curl behind her ear, idly brushing Ruby's thigh in process. "Maybe I could help you? I'm rather good with history, so I should be able to. Even if our schools teach a bit different material. What do you say?" She finishes with a smile that while pleasant, has a devious edge to it.

Ruby bites on her lip and squirms uncomfortably. It's a strange thing to both want to say yes and run away to the certainty of her team. She's not used to this, being treated like this.

"I don't want to be a bother." She answers after few moments.

"You're never a bother." Ruby ducks her head in attempt to hide the blush crawling up her face, it's all so confusing. She never reacted this way to anyone else and over what? Over proposal of help with her homework? She has done it with Weiss, Blake and even Ren, why does this feel so different?

"Um, okay then, thanks. Library?" The older student looks thoughtful for a moment before nodding and standing up. She doesn't offer to carry Ruby's bag as she often does and the girl is grateful for it. She's embarrassed as it is and her doing that yet again would only add to it. It's probably the reason Cinder decides not to offer, she seems to like pushing her but not overtly so.

"Come along then, let us not waste time." She waits for the cloaked girl to gather her things and leads the way, always half a step in front of Ruby and still close enough to occasionally brush hands with her. It's something she does often when they're alone. And while it keeps the girl on edge whenever it happens, she doesn't mind. It's not the uncomfortable sort of closeness she would feel if it was- say Blake walking so close to her. It's almost nice, even if it makes her a tad bit nervous whenever she feels the warm skin brush against her own. "Say, is your professor demanding?"

Ruby winces at the memory she was last time caught sleeping in history class.

"He's ah... very serious about his subject. I guess you can say he's demanding. Not crazy about it but... Didn't you meet him?" She never had to describe Oobleck before, he's a very hard person not to remember or even to miss.

"Not yet, no. Hm..." Ruby's eyes dart around, desperate for something different than her voice to focus on when she hears the almost purr coming out of the woman's throat. "Do tell, how is he as a person?"

Windows, good. There are things outside windows to look at. Like trees. Oh so interesting trees.

"Very energetic- and passionate. I tried asking him a question once after lesson and... well I was stuck with him for half an hour of explanation. I forgot the original question after five minutes I think. Or earlier... anyway yeah he just goes from one topic to another all the time so have someone ready to bail you out when you talk to him."

"He gets distracted?" She sounds genuinely curious and Ruby is happy to indulge her.

"I... wouldn't say that. Not like that, he just- thinks a lot faster I think, he just always has something more to say on the topic. Maybe it's all the coffee." Ruby giggles at the memory of seeing his antics for the first time. "He drinks a lot of it. Like a lot! I wouldn't believe if somebody told me."

She looks back to the older student, finally getting over the blush that stubbornly refused to go away until she had something to focus her mind on. When a moment of silence passes, Cinder turns her head, one brow raised in curiosity, encouraging the girl to continue which she happily does, it's something she likes very much about her companion. She always listens to what she has to say even when it dissolves into little more than rambling.

"I mean like liters per hour." The curious expression on her friend's face gives way to an amused one, if perhaps slightly disbelieving.

"Really? How is that... no I don't think I want to know actually." Yup, amused it is if her voice is anything to go by. "No wonder he's energetic." Ruby snorts, perhaps she downplayed just how... active her teacher is.

"You know it's like he's vibrating sometimes when he stays put. And then whoosh!" She gestures, whipping her hand widely to the side. "He's suddenly standing in front of you and asking questions." She cracks a smile and is happy to see one in return before the woman turns her eyes away from her.

"Thank you. I'll try to remember that."


End file.
